Catherine O'Hara

Catherine O’Hara was an Emmy-winning actress and comedian best known for her decades-long career in both film and television. O’Hara was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, where she graduated from Burnhamthorpe Collegiate Institute in 1974. She began her career in comedy later that year.

O’Hara got her start as a member of improv troupe The Second City, later joining the theater’s television show SCTV. She was awarded her first Emmy as a writer for the sketch show, later transitioning to film in the late ’80s. The actress made early appearances in movies including After Hours (1985) and Heartburn (1986) before becoming a household name with roles in films like Beetlejuice (1988) and Home Alone (1990). She continued to expand her résumé throughout the 2000s with roles in films A Mighty Wind (2003), A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), Away We Go (2007) and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024).

From 2015 to 2020, she joined the cast of Schitt’s Creek as Moira Rose. Her performance on the show earned her both an Emmy and Golden Globe Award. In 2025, she joined the casts of The Last of Us and The Studio. In 2017, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada for her contributions to entertainment.

O’Hara married producer Bo Welch in 1992, and the pair shared sons Matthew (born in 1994) and Luke (born in 1997).

O’Hara died on January 30, 2026, at the age of 71 following a brief illness.